Ex-BBC presenter wins age discrimination case

Reuters/London

O’Reilly: vindicated

A former presenter on the BBC TV show "Countryfile”, who argued she had been dropped from the show because she was considered too old, won a case for age discrimination against the broadcaster yesterday.

Miriam O’Reilly, 53, argued at an employment tribunal that the BBC had axed her and other older presenters in their 40s and 50s from the rural affairs show in 2008 in favour of younger staff when bosses moved the programme to prime time. The tribunal agreed with her, although it dismissed her claim that the decision amounted to sex discrimination.

"It was hard to take on the BBC because I love the BBC, I loved working there, I think it’s one of the best broadcast organisations in the world,” said O’Reilly, who had worked for the corporation for more than 25 years. "But I felt I was treated badly because of my age and standing up to the BBC was the right thing to do.”

After the verdict, the BBC apologised for its action and said they wanted to work with her again in the future. The broadcaster will also have to pay compensation for loss of earnings and "injury to feelings”.

"The BBC is committed to fair selection in every aspect of our work and we clearly did not get it right in this case.”